Monthly Archives: December 2017

The Gunpowder is flowing at an ideal 87 cfs, clear and the water temperature has dropped below the 40 degree mark.

Fishing has been quite good considering how cold the air temperatures are. Edge ice is forming in increased amounts downstream from York road. Fishing between York road up to Falls has been the most consistent. Above Falls road the didymo is blooming as normal at this time of year. Streamers are worth a shot up there, fish them slowly and close to the bottom. Trout will eat in these cold temperatures but typically don’t move far to intercept food items. I’m finding that tiny pheasant tails, miracle nymphs zebra midges are effective. Anything bigger than a size 16 I find does not produce as much at these temperatures. The most productive time of the day is between 11-3 when the sun is at its highest.

At 1 pm today I walked the access points in the catch and release section, i counted 8 fishermen braving the sub zero temperatures, despite having to clear their guides of ice, wild fish were still being caught. Despite the challenges the cold brings to fishing, you won’t catch fish sitting on the sofa.

We have a size run of the fantastic NEW Simms G3 wader here at Backwater Angler. Here is the Simms description of them:

Time on the stream is time well spent. And with the G3 Guide™ Stockingfoot wader, those precious hours can be comfortable and well-ventilated. The G3 has all the in-river essentials you need, with legendary Simms durability that can stand up to heavy use in rugged conditions. Rigging a hopper-dropper combo just became a little easier with the help of a flip-out Tippet Tender®™ pocket with dual-entry zippers and Super-fly Patch® with integrated utility tabs. And numb, sore feet are a thing of the past with anatomically designed neoprene stockingfeet with a funk-fighting anti-microbial finish.

Whether you are early or late-fish nymphs or dries or are naughty or nice, Backwater Angler will have extended hours this Holiday season. In December, in addition to our regular weekday hours from 10 AM till 4PM, the shop will also be open Tuesday the 19th and Wednesday the 20th and Tuesday and Wednesday the 26th and 27th. That said, the shop will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will be open New Years Eve till 2 PM and will be closed New Year’s day and will revert to being closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays through 2018.

The Gunpowder is at 74.4 cfs, clear and starting the day 44.5 degrees F. With the drop in air temperatures the fishing has been tricky on the Gunpowder. That said, fish are being caught, particularly for those anglers willing to tight line nymph. Jim Czawlytko enjoyed two snowy days of fishing over the weekend on the Gunpowder and got into plenty of wild brown trout. Jim found the action was on size 20 grey wd40 midges and size 22 pheasent tail nymphs. Fished with a tungsten beaded jig nymph on the point, which also caught fish. When the going gets cold, getting down to the bottom of the river is neccessery and czech nymphing is the most effective means of achieving this whilsts detecting delicate takes. As the afternoon wears on try a small streamer in the slacker water and back eddies.

There are not too many small businesses still around that started back in 1897. That said, I’m happy to report that we have received a fantastic assortment of FILSON clothing and accessories this week in time for some fun holiday shopping. We are very proud to be representing FILSON in Maryland. This time-tested rugged outdoor clothing is a great fit for those who have traditional tastes and the mindset of buying great gear only once. We have the following FILSON gear in-stock:

“The goods we quote must not be confounded with the cheap and vastly inferior grade with which the market is over-run. Such goods are not only useless for the purpose for which they are intended, but the person wearing them would be better off without them.”

The Gunpowder River is clear, flowing at 40 Cfs and is 46F. Most have found fly fishing the Gunpowder challenging during the past few bright days. Sometimes a longer leader and 7x makes all the difference in the flat water.

The Gunpowder is Flowing at 42 CFS and temps are ranging from 46- 48 degrees. With the past weekends mild weather, active fish could were rising throughout the catch and release sections of the river.

During a recent outing below the York Road access, fish could be found rising to midges in the slower sections. With the appearance of stoneflies along the river, try fishing a brown or black caddis (size 16-18) imitation with a Griffiths gnat dropper to draw some strikes.Fishing streamer patterns with a slow and erratic retrieve will draw some attention of hungry trout. Also, with cold weather approaching don’t be afraid of fishing a mouse pattern tight to the banks and retrieved steady and slow in a downstream and across presentation may surprise you. The trout above slammed a mouse pattern after the first slow strip.